Cellphone Took a Swim? Here's How You Can Dry Your Water-Logged Electronic Devices

With a new report saying nearly a third of young people (those in the 18-24 age group) do their social media business while on the loo, you might have a better sense of why so many people's cellphones seem to take the plunge into the toilet. Sure, it slipped out of your pocket.

Regardless, whether your device has become water logged after being dropped in the toilet or into a bowl of soup after it slipped from your ear-shoulder choke-hold, all is not lost. There are steps you can take to dry them out in an effort to revive them.

If you haven't done so already, as soon as you recover the device from the liquid, dry it off and remove the battery. Dry everything as best you can with a cloth.

From there, some would swear by a method that involves putting your device in a baggy full of uncooked rice. It's a technique that has been shown effective time and again, although some cases could be too far gone.

(Image: Shutterstock.com)

If you dropped your phone in a liquid other than water, meaning it was sugary, salty or soupy, some suggest giving it an alcohol bath (rubbing alcohol that is). According to WiseGeek, the alcohol could help evaporate liquid and get rid of other substances beyond water. It suggests using a alcohol concentration of 95 percent -- most are 70 percent -- if it's available and a cotton ball.

And if you're not into any of these home remedies, there are products available for purchase that claim to dry out small electronics as well, like the Bheestie Bag. Created by the Oregon-based company, Bheestie Bags use "molecular beads" that draw out the moisture from a device's many crevices. Extreme exposure to liquid, like a full on dunk, could require up to three days in the bag.

(Image: Bheestie Bag)

According to the company, the bags are 700 percent more effective than home remedies. Here's how the beads work, according to the company's website:

Bheestie Molecular Beads (TM) contain tiny pores of a precise and microscopic size that are used to specifically target and trap water molecules eliminating moisture from within the sealed Bheestie Bag (TM).  Our beads are engineered to adsorb water up to 22% of their own weight.

Bheestie Bag beads. While the beads are blue, the bag can still be reused. Once the beads turn white, it's time for a replacement. (Photo: Bheestie Bags)

The bags can be used multiple times as well. According to the website, when the beads are blue, they're still usable. Once they turn white, they've done all the absorbing they can.

A Bheestie Bag for a cellphone costs $20 and tablet size is $39.

A similar product in concept -- iFixit's Thirsty Bag -- creates a desiccator-like environment inside a bag as well. A single Thirsty Bag costs $9.95. Watch this video about the product:

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.